Hole-y moly! Perry holes out for eagle from 220 yards

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PINEHURST, N.C. – Kenny Perry may be the oldest player in the field this week at the U.S. Open, but that didn’t stop the 53-year-old from authoring one of the shots of the tournament.

Perry missed the fairway at the par-4 14th and faced a 220-yard approach from one of the many native areas at Pinehurst No. 2. He took out a hybrid club, hit a high, sweeping hook and watched as the ball bounded onto the green, raced toward the hole and hit the flagstick, dropping for an improbable eagle.

“I thought it was going to go over the green and then all of a sudden people started jumping up in the air,” Perry said. “That’s the longest shot I’ve ever made in my life, period.”

Perry gained entry into this week’s event by virtue of his win at the U.S. Senior Open last year. The eagle sparked a strong finish to his round, as Perry also birdied the difficult 16th en route to a 4-over 74. Having survived his trip around Pinehurst No. 2, Perry was quick to put the Round 3 course setup in perspective.

“It was a golf course of 18 of the toughest pins I’ve ever seen,” said Perry, who sits at 7 over after three rounds. “It was probably the hardest setup I’ve ever experienced in a major championship.”